VOLTAR

1. Audience protection guidelines spark debate over censorship risks

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT) announced the start of a public consultation, open until August 21 of this year, regarding the new guidelines for the protection of audience rights, derived from the Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law published in July 2025. The proposal requires radio and television concessionaires to guarantee truthful information, distinguish between opinion and news reporting, separate advertising, and implement public defender’s offices and codes of ethics, under the threat of financial penalties in case of non-compliance.

Although President Sheinbaum denied that the measure seeks to censor and defended it as an exercise in regulation and plurality, the proposal has raised concerns. Organizations such as the National Chamber of the Radio and Television Industry (CIRT) and Article 19, along with various specialists, warn of the risk of a discretionary use of the rules that could potentially impact freedom of expression as they consider the guidelines ambiguous and open to government discretion. Furthermore, they consider that the proposal allows the government to define what constitutes false or decontextualized information, creating the opportunity for news media outlets to become subordinate to the authority.

UNO TV: CRT abre consulta sobre reglas para medios; proyecto incluye códigos de ética y defensor de audiencias
 
El Universal: ¿Qué son los lineamientos de derechos de las audiencias y por qué hay alertas de censura?

2. Food insecurity decreases

According to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2026 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 8.6 million Mexicans exited moderate or severe food insecurity, dropping from 24.9% in the 2014-2016 period to 16.5% in 2023-2025. The study also highlights that undernourishment—a condition in which a person does not consume a sufficient amount of calories to maintain a normal activity level and adequate health—also declined by 3.1% (4.1 million people). Finally, the organization noted that the cost of a healthy diet in the country remained at $4.54, falling below the Latin American average ($4.91).

President Claudia Sheinbaum attributed this historic progress to the sustained increase in the minimum wage and the consolidation of Welfare Programs, such as the initiative called “Corn is the Root” (Maíz es la raíz). Although the president celebrated reaching the lowest level on record, she acknowledged that eradicating hunger remains a priority, as 21 million people still face this condition.

La Razón: Salen de la inseguridad alimentaria 8.6 millones
 
La Jornada: En México aún hay 21.6 millones de personas en inseguridad alimentaria: Sheinbaum

3. Mexican economy shows positive signs

The Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) reported that in the second quarter of 2026, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 1.5% quarter-on-quarter, its largest increase since late 2020. A detailed look at the data shows that primary activities—which include agriculture, fishing, and livestock—were responsible for this positive momentum during the period. The Secretariat also highlighted an all-time high in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with 23.591 billion dollars recorded in the first quarter; however, this contrasts with a modest 0.4% increase in tax collection. Finally, public debt stood at 19.05 trillion pesos at the end of June, equivalent to 51.0% of GDP.

In the external sector, the Bank of Mexico reported that the trade balance registered a surplus of 4.090 billion dollars in June, supported by a strong performance in non-oil exports (70.460 billion dollars), which showed annual rebounds exceeding 35% both in manufacturing and in shipments to the United States. Meanwhile, imports totaled 68.461 billion dollars, driven mainly by the purchase of intermediate goods for industry.

Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público: Comunicado No. 64 Informes sobre la Situación Económica, las Finanzas Públicas y la Deuda Pública al segundo trimestre de 2026
 
W Radio: Balanza comercial de México registra superávit de 4 mil 90 millones de dólares en junio

4. Plan Mexico continues to attract investments

President Claudia Sheinbaum held a meeting at the National Palace with Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, who confirmed the organization’s interest in joining Plan Mexico, as it is currently working on a new partnership framework with the country. This framework is expected to be ratified in the fall of this year, which will provide investment opportunities and technical training in strategic sectors such as pharmaceuticals, agrifood, energy, tourism, and value-added manufacturing, with an emphasis on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, competitiveness, infrastructure, and inclusive growth.

In line with this strategy to boost industrial growth, South Korean automaker Kia Motors announced a 649-million-dollar investment to expand its production in Pesquería, Nuevo León, where it will manufacture the Kia EV3 electric SUV starting in August. The project, aligned with Plan Mexico, includes sustainable infrastructure such as EV charging stations, solar panels, and water treatment systems.

Infobae: Sheinbaum recibe al presidente del Banco Mundial: buscan colaboración con Plan México
 
El País: Kia Motors invertirá 649 millones de dólares para producir vehículos eléctricos en Nuevo León

National University “cancels” entrance exam

The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the country’s university with the largest enrollment, suspended registration for the 2026-2027 academic year for first-time students entering all of its undergraduate programs and decided to administer “control exams.” These decisions seek to provide certainty to applicants and act in accordance with university legislation, after unusual increases in test scores for high-demand majors and alleged cases of cheating on the online test were reported in recent days.

A Technical Commission investigated the contingency and confirmed irregularities such as identity theft, answer leaks, and the use of artificial intelligence. In response, UNAM canceled the exam for 2% of the nearly 159,000 applicants and filed criminal complaints against the companies involved. Furthermore, it determined that in-person “control exams” will be administered to validate the results of selected applicants and of those who reached the historical minimum scores for the 2021-2026 period.

El Financiero: Informe del examen de la UNAM 2026: Aplicarán nueva prueba tras detectar trampa de aspirantes
 
Expansión: UNAM aplicará un examen de control presencial a los aspirantes seleccionados; rector pide disculpas